Closure for cans and like receptacles



' May 28, 1929. R. McKEE CLOSURE FOR CANS AND LIKE 'RECEPTACLES Filed May 23, 1927 mama may as, 1929..

Ilz'tOJr'tERE McKEE, F lI-IILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOSURE FOR CANS AND LIKE RECEPTAGLES.

Application filed Mag-r23, 1927. Serial No. 193,603.

This invention relates to improvements in closures for cans and like receptacles, and the principal object is'to provide a closure having certain improving and desirable characteristics, ,as hereinafter fully set forth, which render it particularly desirable for use as a receptacle for certaincharacters of substance. a

A more specific object of the invention is Q to provide a closure for a can or package having properly shaped and positioned scores or cuts-providing for the punching out of predetermined sections to provide ports or openings through which the contents of the container may be emptied and in which'the projections caused by cutting the metal through or partly through will lie-entirely above the lower plane and below the top plane of the closure, this for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

Another object of the invention is to provide with economy a hermetically tight closure in which one or more small openings or one or more large openings may be easily made through which the contents of the container may be extracted insma'll or relatively large quantities as desired.

A still further objectof the invention is to rovide a closure having provision for easily forming one or more openings through which to extract the contents of the container to which the closure may be attached and of such a character as'to be capable of withstanding severe shocks,such for example as is given by the automatic knock-elf of the topping machine without rupturing the closure or causing it to leak. I The invention also contemplates the pro vision of a closure provided with meanswhereby openings may be made without difficulty for extracting the contents of the container of which the enclosure is a part,'and' comprising also, means for sealing the con tamer after the origlnal opemngs are formed,

effectively preventing leakage .or deterioration of the contents. I

In the attached drawings I Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a can having as a part thereof a closure made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the sup-- plemental closure which constitutes a desir-- able part of the main closure;

' and .Fig. 3 is a plan view of the main closure,

F 4 is a section on the line 44, Fig. 3, showing the supplemental closure in position thereon.

With reference to the drawings, the closure consists ina preferred form of a sheet 00 metal disk 1 having pressed from one side thereof an annular channel section 2 preferably concentric with the disk and forming a central panel 3 the upper face of which may be level with the corresponding face of the peripheral flange 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the peripheral flange 4 is beaded over at the edge as indicated at 5 whereby the closure may, be attached. to a container in well known manner.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, I provide the panel 3 witha plurality of scores and a desir able form ,of these scores, shown in Fig. 3, consists of two substantially semi-circular lines 6,6 arranged at opposite sides of the panel, and within the segment defined by each of the lines 6, 6 a pair of circular scores 7. As shown in Fig. 4:, the scores are made on the inner or under side of the closure whereby the depression .in the latter caused when forming the circular scores 7 extend inwardly from the outer surface and do not project as might otherwise be the case, beyond the plane of either face of the closure. Preferably the circular scores 7 are so formedthat theim- 35 pressi'on-is slightly deeper on one'side of each of the circles, whereby when these circular portions are forced out by means of a sharp blow or pressure on the outside of the -mental form or in which the metal around those parts to be forced out was weakened" by indenting and thereby straining the metal. Whereas for example the prior methods are not readily adaptable for" use where the thicker gagemetals are involved, the presentmethod is uniformly efficient with metals'of any of the gages normally found in articles of the type to which the invention relates. 'In

' my process,

the scoring dies may be adjusted in accordance with the thickness of the metal to give a scoring of any desired depth whereby the scoring.

' that even where and where the metal of the top is thick, considerable difficulty" will be experienced m bending the unscored and unweakened metal to form the port.

inetal of the top is actually severed on a segmental line, since here again the metal must be forced in along a line which has not been weakened. Also this difficulty in forcing portions of the metal in to form apertures re-' sults inmost cases in only 'a: partial bending down of the metaltongues so that the openis suitedprimarily for thin metals discharge ports.

vious that the thicker gages of metal cannot readily be weakened byindentation, not weakened sufliciently,

ings formed are usually entirely inadequate and as a result considerable difliculty is experienced in-s'ifting out the contents of the package, particularly where these contents are -ofgranular form, as is. frequently the case. Similarly, the priormethod of weakening portions'of the metal top by indentations only, and even in that case is aptto result in inadequate In this instance, it is oband if considerable difficulty will be experienced in forcing out the indented portions. Even in the case of the thinner metals, it is difliClllt'tO weaken the metal by this method with sufficient uniform-- ity in a circular line to insure the breaking away of the metal-on the full circle, and inadequate ports frequently result. As set forth above, none of thesedisadvantagesattaches to y method.

Itwill provide simple and easy means whereby the closure'may be ruptured to discharge the contents of the container. 'A slight blowor pressure applied onsthe outer. face of the closure at the proper points will rupture the latter along the scored lines and will give the required open ng. If a relatively large opening is required, the closure may be rupture along either .one or both of the lines 6. Or if a.

relatively small opening is required, either l oneor all of the circular portions may be above. V It is particularly to be noted that by forming the closure with the central panel 3 surrounded by the channel 2 and by forming the scores in theeentral panel so that the'de This difiiculty inw bending also applies to the prior, method in which the .tion of any portionbf the main coverof te upstanding ti e understood that the scored lines I Positioning the discharge ports that it P scored'lines extend inwardly of the panel, a

closure is formed in which no portion pro- ;jects above the top nor below the lower plane or face, this being important where these closures are applied to the containers by ma -f' chine, as willbe readily understood by those familiar with this art.

It will further be noted that although I prefer in all instances to define the closure ports by means of scored lines which do not penetrate the cover, since this affords a her-' metically sealed. closure and one in which the seal is maintained against the blow or blows administered to the closure by the automatic knock-01f device of the topping machines, my invention in certain aspects is npt limited to the use of scored lines, and in some mstances the ports in the closure maybe definedby partial cut-outs or incisions which actually penetrate the closure. In'all :in-- stances,- however,

or incisionsbe such as to prevent the projecit is desirable that the scores i the cover beyond the 5 normal planes of the upper and lower -faces po thereof. Where, therefore, in the claims the term-score or scoring is-employed, it is to be understood, in'the absence-of-spec1fic statement to. thecontrary, to be inclusive of any cuteither extending completely through the metal or merely superficial, and alsoany incision or markingof a character tending {9 weaken the metal along the predetermined mes. I

- In conjunction with theimain closure demental closure in the form of a slip cover 8 whose use is made ossible by the inclusion in panel3 and; which is so'formed. as to be -capable of being slipped over and frictionally secure to this-- mainpanel, as shown in Fi 4. -T is supplemental cover as will be 0 vioiis provides for efiectively sealing the container even after the discharge ports have been formed inthe main closure, and it is particularly, desirable ,scribed above, I prefer to employ a supplewhere the contents of the container are of a 7 greatly aids in pouring d out and distributing the contents at the desired points without spilling and without permitting' the lye to come in contact with the fingers or exterior of the container. The

construction adds materially to the safety and convenience of the container.

vated panel also answers another purpose, in 'tsthp filling of thejoontamers on in main;

high speed filling machines Without interfering in any way with the later pressing in 7 The use of the circular panel or nozzle is also particularly desirable, by reason of the fact that it adapts itself to the use of an auxiliary closure retainable by friction to give an hermetic seal. This is essential in a container for lye, which deteriorates when exposed to the atmosphere. This particular type of auxiliary-closure isalso desirable in a 'lye container, by reason of the relative I difficulty'of removal.

So firmly is it held on the nozzle that a suitable tool is required to pry it loose. This device effectively precludes possible accidental opening of thecontainer or the opening thereof by children.

The container is also universally adaptable for trade both in'the country and city. In city use, the contents, where the latter is lye,.are usually used in small quantities such I claim:

1. A closure for containers comprising a substantially flat disk having a substantially U-shaped scoring defining a relatively large area of the disk adapted to be forced inwardly to form a discharge opening, and having within that portion of the disk embraced by said scoring an additional scoring defining a relatively small area also adapted to be forced inwardly to afford a relatively small discharge port.

2. A closure for containers comprising a substantially flatdisk having substantially U-shapcd scorings defining relatively large areas ofthe disk adapted to .beforced inwardly to form discharge openings, said scorings together embracing the major portion of the disk area, and additional scorings defining relatively small areas within those areas embraced by the said scorings first named and defining relatively small areas also adapted to be forced inwardly to aflord relatively small discharge ports.

3. A closure for containers consisting of a substantially flat disk having an elevated panel forming thereunder a pocket, a pair of substantially semi-circular scorings defining portions of said panel-adapted to be forced inwardly to form discharge openings, said scorings together embracing substantially the entire areaof the'paneL, and additional scorings defining relatively small areas also adapted to be forced inwardly to form relatively small discharge ports, said additional scorings being-located within the areas embracedby said semi-circular scorings,

ROBERT McKEE. 

